Monday, July 28, 2014

Raspberry-Almond Tart

Rarely have I made a recipe I saw on another blog immediately. This one I even made twice on the same week. It is just so good. It looks like a regular raspberry tart, but the almond cream makes all the difference. The buttery crust, the sweet frangipane and the creamy pastry cream make the perfect bed for fresh picked raspberries. What a dream! I was fortunate enough to have lots of raspberries from our garden. Even if you don't, go to the farmers market and make this tart. You'll love it.

You can also make tartlets from this recipe, which will give you about six 8 cm (3-inch) round pieces.

Pastry dough:
For the pastry dough put the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor. Pulse a few times, then add the egg and enough cold water until the dough holds together. Form a ball, wrap into cellophane and put in the fridge for about one hour.

Grease your tart form with butter. Roll out the dough and fit into the form. Prick the dough with a fork, and put the form back in the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Almond Cream:
Cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Add the egg, the ground almonds, and the rum. Just mix until combined and be careful not to over-mix.

Spread the almond cream on top of the tart dough. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Crème Diplomat:
Pour the milk into a heavy sauce pan. Place over medium-high heat and scald, bringing it to a near boiling point. Stir occasionally. In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch and the egg yolks until smooth.

When the milk is ready, gently and slowly while whisking, pour the heated milk down the side of the bowl into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture back into the warm pot and continue to cook, while whisking constantly, over a medium heat until the custard is thick, just about to boil and coats the back of a spoon.

Add the vanilla and lemon zest to the pastry cream. Allow to cool for a few minutes stirring occasionally. Cut the butter into pieces and whisk into the pastry cream a piece until smooth. Cover the cream directly with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Whip the heavy cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cooled pastry cream with a rubber spatula.

Spread the pastry cream evenly on top of the tart. If you want to do it more neatly you can use a pastry bag. Arrange the raspberries on top of the pastry cream in circles starting from the outside.